Chapter Eight

Authentic Christmas

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Karou had spent the last few days making hand-drawn Christmas cards for her friends around the Compound, and Warren had kindly asked Ms Finch to collect them and deliver them on her behalf. He still wasn't allowing her to wander around the Compound alone because he didn't trust her restraint entirely, even though she never seemed greedy when he fed her. But being around warm bodies full of fresh blood would always be more tempting than packaged, preserved blood. It wasn't worth the risk.

When Isabel Finch arrived at the unit's front door, she was surprised to find that Karou answered herself; she'd been hoping for Warren. Just like when she had delivered Karou's clothes, she had someone with her, and this someone was holding a large cardboard box in his arms.

"Hello, Karou. I believe I am to collect some post from you, and I have also been asked to deliver this box to Mr Howard. Is he in?"

"Hiya Isabel. Yeah, Christmas cards, I've written who they're for on the front. Oh, for Warren? Uhm, he is, but he's in his office..." Karou glanced to the closed and possibly locked door just past the lounge. "You can leave it just inside for him if you want, but I'm not supposed to interrupt him when he's working..."

"I see. He has strict rules with you too." The blonde flicked her hair and chuckled obnoxiously loudly. "I'm not supposed to leave his packages with anyone other than himself."

"Right. Uhm, I'll have to risk it then. Just wait there a sec'." Karou left the front door open so that Isabel could watch her walk over to Warren's office. She tapped her knuckles on the door until she heard Warren invite her in. Gingerly, she peered inside. It was no surprise to see him sitting at his desk. The blue-tinted backlight of his laptop screen lit up his face as he scribbled into his planner.

"Everything alright?" He asked, still distracted.

"Yeah, just Isab- Ms Finch is here, and she has a box for you... She said she's not supposed to leave it with me."

"Tell her I said she has to leave it with you; it's for you." Warren looked up and flashed Karou a smile before looking back at his laptop screen.

Feeling that he wanted to get right back to work, Karou just nodded and ducked back out of the door and shut it behind her. Karou explained the situation to Isabel back at the door, and the boy carried the box inside and left it in her care. The vampiress took the cards, bid Karou goodbye, wished her a Happy Christmas, and then left with the boy in tow.

Alone with the sizeable mysterious box and stood with her hands set on her hips, Karou inspected it cautiously. Unsure if she was allowed to open it, she tipped her head sideways in her usual bird-like fashion; the expression suited her even more now that she had her wings. Warren hadn't said anything about opening it. There was no note or any kind of instructions, so she was puzzled.

"Are you going to stand and look at it all day or open it?" Warren's voice called across the lounge. He was coming out of his office and wrapping his tie around his hand. Mostly, she noticed, he was done with work usually early.

"Am I allowed to open it?"

"Put it this way; if you don't open it before Christmas morning, it'll have been a waste, and you'll kick yourself," Warren said, unbuttoning his shirt as he passed by and disappeared down the hall; presumably, he was going to change in his room.

Intrigued even more now, Karou tore into the box to find the pieces of artificial Christmas tree inside. Child-like excitement lit up her eyes, and she squealed. There was a box of white fairy lights and glittery decorations too. "Oh my God, Warren, it's a Christmas tree!" She exclaimed as she ran down the hall and into Warren's bedroom.

"Ha, I know. I had Ms Finch get a hold of it for you. You complained that we didn't have decorations last year." Warren answered her excitement with a grin. When she'd burst in, he'd been threading a brown leather belt through his jeans, and now he fastened the buckle and spoke again. "I thought you could put it up in the lounge."

"It's amazing, thank you." Karou grinned to herself as she picked at her fingernails; she was trying her hardest not to watch him get dressed.

Next, Warren picked out a casual button-down, shrugged into it and began to button it as he made his way over the room to Karou, who stood idle in the doorway.

Try as she might, her impulses caused her to break her personal promise, and she found her gaze fixed on his bare chest. It was such a tease that he slowly concealed it from her sight - button by button. "You're finished work early, and you're getting changed… Are you going out?"

"No, I'm staying in. Magnus and Ellis will be arriving soon."

"Oh, they're coming tonight?" Karou soon found Warren stood only a foot from her; she didn't want to back away.

"Yes, and they're staying until New Year."

"So, Magnus has convinced you to enjoy the entire festive season for once?"

"I draw the line at Thanksgiving; I hate Turkey." Warren decided he'd stood staring at her for too long, but as he passed, he couldn't help but brush her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Go decorate your Christmas tree before they get here." He said in a hushed voice.

"Uhm, where do you want me to go when they get here?" Karou asked, following Warren down the hall. She was trying not to focus too much on the fact he had just touched her, yet she was still blushing.

Why does she always ask that? "Nowhere..." Warren glanced over his shoulder at her, a little confused; she could tell by the way his brows positioned over his eyes.

"But last time I stuck around when they visited, things... didn't turn out so well."

"As I've said before, you didn't ruin it; Ellis did. Once you've done with the tree, you should go get changed. I'm sure Magnus will be bringing wine." In the meantime, Warren prepared a small charcuterie board of nibbly bits for their get-together.

The evening came and went without a hitch, even if Ellis didn't say a single word to Karou the entire time. Magnus' warmth towards her made up for it. The Spaniard marvelled at her wings and was full of questions and interest about her newfound family and Enochian prospects. In fact, for most of the evening, Karou and Magnus sat facing each other, engrossed in lively conversation. They hogged the food and sat the tray between them, eating the whole thing to themselves, and polished off three bottles of white wine too.

Meanwhile, Ellis struggled to get a worthwhile conversation out of Warren. He was actually a little jealous that Karou and Magnus were having such a good time. They'd abandoned him to his Sire, who was annoying him with her grabby hands and salacious comments.

By midnight Ellis was getting a little sick and tired of having to turn Warren's head in her direction every five minutes to talk to him. He'd refused the wine in favour of his scotch and got himself quite drunk.

When their socialising had ended naturally, Karou saw Magnus and Ellis left out. Meanwhile, Warren had flaked out on the couch.

Karou slumped herself down at his side with a contented sigh. "Hmmm, I had such a good time tonight. Thank you for letting me stay and chat with Magnus." Karou's cheeks were flushed with merriment from the amount of wine she'd consumed. Her inhibitions had vanished too, and she sat closer to Warren than she might usually. "You though...You look miserable and drunk. Was Ellis awful to you?"

"I'm glad you had a good time. Ha, she was just irritable, hence why I'm drunk." Warren lolled his head to the side, and for a long moment, he focused on Karou's dress. It was dark blue with a lace overlay that accented the baby blue colouring of her feathers. He thought it best not to give his opinion, but he certainly thought she looked beautiful. Karou had a pure beauty but not the ordinary kind; she was ethereal.

"I'm sorry if we left you out... Ellis didn't say a single word to me, so I thought it was best not to provoke her."

"So, you're ignoring me was diplomatic, huh?"

"Something like that." Karou giggled, stealing one of Warren's typical lines. "Say, how about we stay up and watch Christmas movies with the tree lights on?" Karou grinned over at him, hopefully.

"That's fine by me. I don't see myself moving for the rest of the night."

"Alright, well, I'm going to go put my pyjama's on and get all snuggled up in that corner then." Karou turned her back to Warren. "Will you unzip my dress, please?"

Although initially, Warren reached over and tugged down the zip without a fuss, something overcame him. At an unstoppable speed, he slipped his hand inside the fabric and around the front of her Karou's bare stomach. Having her hooked, he pulled her back into his lap so he could nuzzle into her neck. The way the soft plumage over the arches of her wings brushed his face was a completely new experience, but it only added to how lovely she was. "Mmm, Karou, are you drunk enough to believe that I want you for all the right reasons tonight?"

Whatever he did always felt so wonderful, it made her heart skip a beat, but she knew it was not coming from the place she wanted. She was terrified to fall for Warren, the fact she had even thought it possible scared her the most. "You wouldn't want me if I didn't smell like this." She whined. "I don't even understand what you see in me. Don't you like women, like Ellis? Y'know who're curvaceous and confident..." Even though her lips protested, she didn't struggle to get up from his lap. On the contrary, she allowed his hand to explore beneath her dress and let his lips wander over her neck and cheek.

"D'you have to question me all the damned time?" Seeing as she hadn't pushed him away, Warren continued to rub his face into her neck and shoulder. "I know what I like, and I like what I see, what I touch, what I smell..." Her scent had always been one of his favourite things, his favourite tease.

Things started to happen quickly. Warren peeled the sleeves of Karou's dress down her arms to let it fall from her front. Gently, he took his time feeling her soft, ample breasts; passively, he meant for the attention he gave them to prove that she was more than womanly enough to attract his sexual affection.

Eventually, he urged her to stand up, and Karou's dress fell to her ankles on cue. He took a moment to kiss over her rear while her back was still toward him; his hands followed suit and caressed her too. His lips didn't stray from her skin, though, and trailed up her back between her wings and over the jagged scar that she hated. Warren quickly removed her underwear before spinning her around on the spot and pulling her down to straddle his lap. In charge, but by no means rough, Warren set Karou's hands onto his chest, hinting that she should unbutton his shirt. While Karou freed him of the button-down, he enjoyed the texture of her chest under his lips and hands, which caused Karou's fingers to tremble and fumble around the small buttons a couple of times. Once she'd tossed his shirt aside, Karou unfastened his belt and jeans to get to him. The tension was rising. The urgency with which they touched each other was growing. They moved as if in a frenzy; it was obvious where this was going. Karou decided to stop thinking about the consequences and let her body have its fix. Willingly Warren shuffled everything he wore below his waist down; he was ready and urgently pulled her to meet him. Simultaneously groaning in pleasure, it was a release of tension they had both longed for.

She protested when Warren cupped Karou's face and tried to kiss her. "Kiss me everywhere else... But not my mouth." She said breathlessly against his cheek.

He would miss her lips, but he understood why the new rule made sense to her. Still, if it meant he still got to have her this close, he would be obedient, however painful.

Climaxes came and went like tides for Karou, and as each built, she became increasingly vocal. That alone made Warren more eager to please her, but the looks on her face, how she grasped at him as she rode those waves of pleasure, were all euphoric and worthwhile. Even if the tension and how she squeezed around him drew him closer to his release, eventually, he just had to give in. So far, he'd allowed Karou to set a pace and aided her in keeping it in the moments the strength in her thighs gave out. Eager to quit edging and reach his own high, Warren grasped her hips and had his way until he was there. The speed and intensity seemed to please Karou, too, as well as succumbing to him.

When it was all over, Warren collapsed them both sideways on the couch, and they became a tangled pile of panting flesh. Holding onto each other as they simmered down, they neither found their way to bed that night.

In the days leading up to Christmas, Warren had taken time away from work, and the four of them spent most of their time around the Compounds public areas, the main lounge, the tavern, and the woods, generally having a good time. Karou was pleased that Warren trusted her enough to wander around freely. Though, she knew she was always under Magnus' supervision. Fortunately, she never felt babysat by him; she was just hanging out with a friend who took a genuine interest in her. She could talk to him about Warren, both the bad and the good, without him snitching on her, and he would try his best to give an unbiased opinion. After all, he knew full well that Warren wasn't perfect. She did try not to get too personal because it had upset Warren before, but Magnus still pried, of course. When the Spaniard was such a skilled interrogator, hiding that they had both given into their basal desires just a few nights before proved difficult.

While Karou and Magnus had paired off, Warren felt forced to socialise with Ellis. At least so far, she was behaving herself, even if that meant she ignored Karou entirely. Perhaps it was down to the fact that she had most of her fledgeling's attention.

Christmas Eve had consisted of late-night drinks at the tavern, and Karou was glad to have been allowed to spend some time at a table with her friends. Magnus, Ellis and Warren remained at their own table at the other end of the room, but Warren didn't take his eyes off her for a second, much to Magnus' amusement and Ellis' annoyance. Karou could feel his eyes on her, but it didn't make her nervous; she knew her Sire was looking out for her. Every so often, she would meet his eyes and smile to reassure him that she was doing fine. After the festivities at the tavern, Magnus' and Ellis excused themselves early; the married couple were feeling amorous for each other, which was a notably rare occasion.

Nevertheless, it left Karou and Warren alone to take a walk back to their unit. Though they were both thinking about their affair, neither of them dared speak of it. There was a shared fear of seeming too sentimental. Their pace through the trees was slow, and Warren held back so he could observe the way the winter moonlight played over Karou's feathers. In the breeze, her primary feathers fluttered, but her arches clung close to her back to keep her warm. Lately, she'd been adjusting how she dressed around her new appendages; it was undoubtedly a challenge in the cold weather.

Having arrived only a few weeks before Christmas the year before, she had barely settled in enough to really enjoy the festivities. She'd still been an outsider and had had to settle for watching the other residents of the Compound celebrate. Though, she had never seen such a spectacle as the day a burly lycan man had dragged in a ten-foot fir tree into the main lounge. All the children had gathered to help accessories its branches with decorations they had made themselves, which was heartwarming and evoked the sort of Christmas Spirit Karou had only ever heard talk about. When a fae woman spread her glass-like wings and flew to the top of the tree to plant the glistening star, Karou had grinned gleefully. This year she had hoped for a more spectacular celebration, and the anticipation was almost unbearable. When Warren had gifted her with her very own Christmas tree to erect in their unit, she didn't care if that was the only present she received.

Karou had never allowed herself to get too excited about Christmas; that was before living at the Compound, anyway. Back in Concord, Magda and herself usually exchanged small gifts even if their parents never encouraged the tradition. Generally speaking, the festive seasons would usually pass by uncelebrated in the Morgan household. In fact, the only sign that Christmas had arrived was that the street she walked down every day on her way to school turned into a winter wonderland. Storefronts put on festive displays filled with extravagantly wrapped gifts and Christmas tree's festoon with ornate baubles, oh, and the lights! There were always so many beautiful lights that filled the streets. When the wintry nights drew in and in the absence of the sun, they twinkled for almost twelve hours of darkness. And no matter where she went, there seemed to be a cheesy Christmas song playing from some unknown source. The small, secular part of the season which touched her life due to her love of Dunkin Donuts coffee was the various new flavours they'd bring out each year.

When, finally, the 25th of December arrived, Warren's work alarm hadn't been switched on for days, but he still woke up around six every day. However, that morning would come with a surprise. At four-thirty, a wide awake and excited Karou crept into his room and sat at the bottom of his bed.

"Warren." She whispered loudly. "Warren, can we get up now?"

Rolling onto his back, Warren peeped at her through sleepy eyes and then at the digital clock on his nightstand. "Surely it's too early to get up..." He grumbled.

"Oh, come ooon it's Christmas." Karou's voice had grown whiny; she was excited, childishly so.

He'd been hoping for a lie-in. "... Magnus and Ellis aren't coming over until at least ten to exchange gifts."

"What am I supposed to do for the next five hours then?"

"Letting me sleep would be a good place to start," Warren grumbled and pulled the sheets up over his head.

"Fiiine, I'll go back to bed then." Another great whine came from Karou as she shuffled to the edge of the bed. Warren grabbed her by the waist before she could stand and pulled her back up the bed with him. "Ah! What're you doing?"

"Stay here for just ten minutes, and I'll get up. How's that for a deal?"

"Sounds like blackmail," Karou muttered, but she didn't fight him off and let him nuzzle his face between where her wings met her back; that was where he fell back to sleep.

Ten minutes quickly turned into two hours, and when Karou eventually woke up, she saw Warren still sleeping peacefully. Laid nestled in Warren's arms with her head resting on his chest, Karou smiled when she realised that in return, he had buried his face into her hair. To savour how wholesome the moment felt, Karou closed her eyes and dared to place her hand onto his chest.

Floating about the peripherals of her mind, thoughts of how happy she felt, how cosy she was, along with imaginings of waking up like this every morning, were picked up on by Warren. He also heard one of her unsettled ponderings; How many women he must've laid with like this.

None actually. Warren thought clearly, in answer to her vague reflections. Ellis doesn't touch me unless she's trying to initiate sex, and all my other 'relationships' never saw mornings. The hand that'd rested on the slimmest part of her waist moved and began to trace over her hourglass-shaped side, from ribs to hips, over her thin pyjamas.

Oh, I didn't know you were awake, but when you say... I mean, think, things like that, you confuse me. Karou couldn't understand how Warren could treat her different from other women he'd been involved with but not have any feelings for her, especially when he couldn't keep his hands off her.

I've never lived alone with a woman before, Karou; of course, you're different. Regardless of how you look at it.

I'm trying my best to just not think about it, any of it. The more I think, the less I understand. And it's the not understanding that hurts and festers. Karou pulled away... She couldn't bear to lay there and mull over how blurred the lines had become.

Warren didn't stop her from leaving his room; he just watched her walk away from him with a sinking feeling in his stomach. A part of him knew that inevitably she'd regret getting physical with him; he'd just hoped it wouldn't be while she still lived with him.

Later, after breakfast, Karou convinced Warren to call Magnus and Ellis over early; she couldn't wait any longer to start celebrating Christmas. Karou had also persuaded Warren to wear the seasonal pyjamas pants she'd acquired via Isabel, and because he'd promised to give her as authentic a Christmas as he was able, he'd given in. Karou had chosen a selburose pattern that wasn't too outlandish, which was some relief.

Gathered on the sofa, with the Christmas tree's lights twinkling, the four of them exchanged their gifts. Warren presented Magnus and Ellis with their joint gift first; it was a large envelope and didn't give much away from the exterior as to what it might contain. Once Magnus opened it, he discovered a brochure and tickets for a travel experience.

"It's all paid for, and the brochure has all your options; you just have to choose one. If you need flying somewhere, I'll arrange the jet for you." Warren explained as he lounged back on the couch.

"Thank you to the both of you. This is a very thoughtful gift." Magnus beamed, and Ellis even seemed to cheer up a little when she started flicking through the brochure of luxurious destinations; it was possibly also the fact that she'd already started drinking wine.

I hope you don't mind; I wrote that it was from both of us. Warren thought privately to Karou; his face gave nothing away as usual.

No, I don't mind. I wouldn't have known what to get them anyway. Uhm, do you have a jet?

Although they both continued to chat normally between their thinking back and forth, Magnus had picked up on the fact that something was going on between them; the long glances and faint smiles in each other's direction hadn't escaped his notice.

Yes, I own a jet; I keep it at a private airport to use whenever I might need it. While sipping from the coffee mug, Warren thought he had rested on his knee. He repositioned his legs and folded his legs idly, his right ankle on his left knee.

Wow. I knew you were rich, but not 'I own my own private jet' rich. Karou's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but look over at her Sire. There he sat in his buffed suede moccasin house shoes, on his huge leather couch, hair ruffled into a perfect 'I get out of bed looking like an adonis' style. Yes, even on his lazy pyjama days, he managed to appear put together effortlessly.

You know I own several properties but the fact that I own a jet surprise's you?

Oh, shush! Now you're making me feel silly and impoverished. Karou tore her eyes away. She had her legs tucked up to her front with her chin set onto her knees, and now she sunk down a little further into her corner seat, being pouty. However, it didn't take her long to cheer up when Magnus spoke.

"Karou, please accept this gift from me." He passed her a present wrapped embellished, gilded gold paper tied with a thick black ribbon. Magnus and Ellis never traditionally celebrated Christmas, not for many years, but Warren had struck a deal with them; they do Christmas this way this year for Karou, and he would let them stay till New Year and take an extended break from work.

"Aw, thank you." Karou grinned gratefully and unwrapped the gift with child-like enthusiasm. It was a gift comprised of a couple of items, a new sketchbook, a leather-bound journal, a pallet of watercolour paints and the accompanying brushes, all bundled together. "I love it; thank you so much."

"You're very welcome, Bonita, and Warren for you, from us..." Magnus handed Warren a black box, about nine inches in length and four wide. Warren took it with a thankful nod and opened it to find a calligraphy set of three fountain pens, silver and engraved with a sleek geometric pattern.

"Thank you. I really appreciate these." Warren grinned and set his coffee mug aside to take one pen out of its velvet insert to inspect it. He would use them every day, no doubt, and Magnus knew this. It was the perfect gift for a man constantly rewriting his schedule. Although Warren had a laptop for the necessary email correspondences, he was old fashioned at heart and, where he could, wrote letters by hand. He kept a handwritten planner and journal too.

"Ooo, they're pretty," Karou said, peering over at Warren's gift. "Uh- Isa-... Ms Finch helped with your gift again this year… but I did pick it."

"And I paid for it, huh?" Warren chuckled, picking up on her earlier thought about her personal poverty. Karou hadn't a cent to her name, but Warren saw it as a non-issue seeing as she lived with him. He had no issue providing for her. At first, it was just living essentials, but the fonder he grew of her, the more he was willing to give - materially speaking, at least. Whatever her heart desired, she could have, so long as it wasn't him.

"It's the thought that counts, right?" Karou bit her lip in hope. She passed him a brown paper package with hand-drawn seasonal motifs and tied with a silky red ribbon.

"Of course. I wasn't serious." Warren un-wrapped the gift carefully, making sure not to tear the paper she'd put so much effort into decorating. Inside, he found three books, a collection of biographies and autobiographies of famous mythical people through history, written now that the wider world knew about them. Warren was quiet while he examined the books and read over their blurbs. Eventually, he smiled and looked over at Karou. It was quite a thoughtful gift. "Thank you, Karou." That was all he said, but she knew he liked it from his expression; even though the change was subtle, it was warm. Warren lent over towards her and passed her a brown envelope. "This is a little something for you."

When Karou took the envelope, Ellis rolled her eyes, and Magnus grinned, as excited as Karou was. It'd been a secret, but he knew what was inside, and he was sure it would mean a lot to her. Karou pulled a textured parchment from the envelope, which folded out into a long reem. At the bottom, in large handwritten and beautifully intricate black cursive script, was her name. It was her celestial family tree. In reaction, Karou's eyes welled without her realising it. So here was the family she belonged to, all written out on paper, which made it all seem so official.

"I thought you could frame it to hang in your room," Warren explained. "But it has another side too..." Karou turned over the parchment on cue and saw her name at the bottom once again. Above it was Warren's, then Ellis' and then Magnus' too and from there, it read names of people she didn't know, personally. Just as she assumed, Warren clarified, "It's where your vampirism comes from, who sired who, who bore who, going back as far as we can decipher."

"And what is quite interesting, indeed, is that it seems that there is a common ancestor on both sides: Lucian Black, the father of Seraphina's child, Ophelia. My family, the pure-blood Va Rossa line and the pure-blood Black family line, have some commonality in their lineage. Cross-breeding used to be common to keep blood pure centuries ago." Magnus chipped in; he'd helped Warren do the research.

"This is…" Karou was choked up, full of emotion she wasn't sure how to describe or process. For once, it was Karou confused by her emotions and not Warren. How ironic that his gift had done that to her, she thought. "It's really amazing; thank you so much."

"He's quite the talented calligrapher, no?" Magnus asked, raising his dark brows as he smiled warmly over at Warren and Karou.

"You wrote all of this?" She looked back to Warre, wide-eyed despite them being teary. His motive for giving her such a heartfelt, personal gift that he'd handcrafted only added to her conflicted feelings about him.

"Yes, it's something of a hobby of mine. There was a time when lawyers were required to write up all their own papers; having messy handwriting equated to laziness and a lack of education once upon a time. Well, before the mighty typewriter took over..."

"He learned his skills at the fancy school he attended in New York." Magnus was all for revealing as much of Warren's history to Karou as he could.

"Wow, really?" Karou blushed. "I've lived here a year and still barely know anything about you." Even though this didn't surprise her, Warren wasn't much of a talker.

"I'm not prideful enough to think that there are a lot of interesting things to know." Warren picked up his coffee again and downed the rest before standing and taking his mug into the kitchen for a refill.

Karou watched after him with a faint smile as she brushed her fingertips gently over the parchment where he had written his own name. "I didn't even know his real first name was Charles," Karou muttered.

"Don't call him that. He hates it." Ellis chided and stood up from the sofa as well; the moment was getting too sickly and emotional for her.

"Bah, ignore her. She's just jealous that he never gives her anything sentimental." Magnus wafted his hand and shuffled over the couch cushions to admire her gift with her. For the next little while, they discussed the people listed. Magnus had extensive historical knowledge regarding his race. Being over 500 years old meant that to him, most of it was within his living memory.

Alone in the kitchen with Warren, Ellis homed in on him and started to play her long game to get what she wanted later that evening. Plying him with some seemingly genuine affection and alcohol beforehand was a necessary part of the game, but she was a patient master of coercion.

The four ate a hearty Christmas lunch together before Magnus agreed to escort Karou to the tavern to meet up with her friends for their pre-arranged festive get-together. With a change of clothes on, Karou bid Warren and Ellis goodbye before leaving. But, before she left, she couldn't' help but notice Ellis had her claws in Warren. Unfortunately, he'd drunk one too many scotches to care; regardless, a bubble of hot, misplaced, possessive anger swelled in Karou's stomach. She wanted to scream and demand Ellis take her hands off of him. But, instead, Ellis touched Warren freely, like he was a mere object, an emotionless plaything, and it made Karou's blood boil. Ellis' red-painted fingernails traced over Warren's scarred neck while she sat with her legs draped over his lap. Meanwhile, he refused to meet neither Karou nor Ellis' eyes; he just stared at the coffee table and carried on drinking.

Ultimately Karou was ushered out of the door by Magnus when he noticed she was lingering with an upset look in her eyes. She couldn't understand how the scene before them didn't bother him! She hated how Warren remained loyal to Ellis regardless of how much she hurt him. Mostly she was upset that it didn't matter how much time she'd spent in his arms that morning; he'd still let Ellis have her way with him in the same twenty-four hour period. The sting in her chest made her eyes water.

In sullen silence, she and Magnus walked to the tavern where she pushed her feelings aside to have fun with her friends; wine would wash away the rest. Eventually, her angry emotions transformed into guilt. After all, she had no right to feel possessive; Warren wasn't hers. He'd told her plenty of times to keep her distance, and she'd selfishly ignored those warnings. Now she was paying the price; she should've known better. Besides, the way Ebon looked at her since her birth from dormancy had changed. The kin boy had even apologised for how shallow he'd been before.